The Mysterious Encounters of Alex Harding - Journal 1
by Unitedmoviemaker
Summary: Alex Harding, a slightly paranoid 15 year old teenager, starts to hear things in his backyard. These noises become so much of a concern that he starts a journal devoted to the encounters with these noises and what might be making them.
1. Entries 1-3

Author's Notes

Hello everyone! This is my first ever fanfic! It's really exciting that I decided to start something like this. This story is a bit different than you might expect. The story is set in modern times and is in journal format. The main character, Alex Harding, is a 15 year old teenager. He can have a good bit of paranoia from time-to-time. Alex starts to hear things and then makes a journal about these encounters. I am open to critique. PM me any thoughts, ideas, or what have you.

Thanks for reading this! Enjoy!

-Introduction-

Hello all! If you are reading this I probably decided to share this with someone. The following is a bunch of journal entries I made when I started to have suspicions of "the creatures" (that's how I refer to them a lot in this book). Before all this happened, I just thought I was living a normal life in a normal town (as many would think). Of course, I later find out that my town wasn't so normal after all. It wasn't the people, but it was definitely something living there. You're probably wondering what these creatures are and (depending on if you live in my hometown) if you should be careful when roaming the forest at night. Firstly, I want the reader (that would be you) to experience the things I experienced throughout the production of these journal entries. Secondly, I have confirmed that you don't need to worry about these creatures. They aren't hostile. Given that you don't point a machete in their face. That makes them mad. As I mentioned previously, I started these entries when I became paranoid enough to start writing them. There wasn't much I could have said before I started the journal. In these first few entries, it may seem uneventful, but try to notice how I seem to be losing my mind with each sequential entry. I start to calm down later on, but I was really anxious back then. I hope you enjoy reading about this discovery of mine. If I gave this to you, I probably really trust you enough that you won't tell anyone else about this. Something like this should not get out to the public. So please don't share this with anyone if I haven't told you in person.

-Alex

Entry 1 - October 5, 2012  
Well, things have gone strange enough to where I've actually started a journal to write about all the things that have happened today. Where do I start? It started tonight. I was taking out the trash (as I usually do) and started to hear some things. I didn't know what it was. I then heard a tree shake. I didn't see anything in the trees. I thought I was just imagining things, but then I heard another tree shake. This time, it was closer. I hurried back into my house. I could have sworn I heard some other strange noise as I rushed away. All I know is that I've been getting some strange "vibes" lately. I know I'm not one to freak out or anything, but I could just sense something wasn't right. I guess I just need to sleep on this and see if it's not fatigue.

Entry 2 – October 7, 2012  
Okay, I thought I was doing fine until I did some investigating today. I went into my backyard curiously and saw that some of our trees have broken or missing branches. I don't remember any kind of storm coming through our town. Something must have done that. I don't think the trees are very old either. I just keep thinking back to a few days ago when I heard the strange noises and the trees shaking. I don't know what's going on and I really don't like it.

Entry 3 – October 8, 2012  
Tonight, I went outside to take out the trash a bit more prepared. If I heard anything, I would use the flashlight I brought with me. I slowly entered my backyard and looked around nervously. Nothing it seemed, but then the noises started again and the trees started to shake. This is when I turned on my flashlight and shined the light into the trees. I couldn't see anything. The noises and the trees stopped. Whatever this thing is, it doesn't want to be seen. Well, that just adds to my paranoia. I might have to do some investigating in the woods. I might setup base in my old tree-house. I haven't really done anything in there for a while.


	2. Entry 4

**Author's Notes:**

The entries in the beginning of this series are sorta short, but get much more lengthy later on.

**Entry 4 – October 9, 2012**

Today, I was able to re-discover my tree-house as I left it last. It has been a while since I've been up there. All the vines and old leaves confirmed this. My tree-house was built between two large trees. I'm thinking they are the biggest ones in our yard. Inside, I have a desk (where this entry is being written right now!) and an old desk chair that my parents didn't have any use for. Later on in my tree-house's life, my father and I added a deck facing towards our house. I might not be able to go on a stakeout tonight due to some other plans of mine (more like plans of my parents). I will try to plan a stakeout sometime tomorrow night (or the night after that). I guess it will depend if I still have the courage when it is time to do so.


	3. Entry 5

**Entry 5 – October 10, 2012**

Well, I'm not sure if my stakeout was successful or not. I think I was a bit closer to the "creature" (or whatever it is) than last time. At least I was able to do it tonight and not tomorrow night. I tried to prepare for the worst. Now that I think about it, I wasn't as prepared as I could have been. Before it got dark out, I brought a bunch of stuff to my tree-house. I made a few trips back and forth between my house and the tree-house. I felt like I was getting ready for a sleep over, but by myself. I brought a sleeping bag and a pillow, which I later decided not to use after an incident (more details on that later). I took some food and drinks with me. I did think through what I was bringing. I made sure not to bring anything with loud packaging (like bags of chips and cans of soda), just in case the creature would be nearby. When the sun finally set, I was up in the tree-house, determined to wait and listen for any strange noises that I heard before. Time went by and not much had happened. I snacked a bit while waiting. Suddenly, I heard some leaves crunching outside. It was from a tree nearby. I mentally questioned myself if I was prepared to get close to this thing. I decided I wasn't gonna run away now. So I just waited for more sounds. There was a few minutes of delay before the sound of another, closer tree shaking. I wanted to wait and see if it would get closer. The problem was it did get closer, it was on one of the two trees that held my tree-house off the ground. The room was shaking a bit. Stuff on my desk was moving around. I had to fumble around to pick up my flashlight. I thought the only thing left to do is to see if I could get a glimpse of this creature. I went out onto the deck and shown my flashlight into the two trees. I could have sworn that I saw something, but couldn't really confirm anything. Out of no where, something hits me on my forehead. It left a good size cut with it. I don't know if it was something from the tree or if it was deliberate from the creature. After receiving injury, I had to go back to my house to fix the cut. I might have scared off the creature when I yelled with pain. I really didn't pay attention. I needed to make sure I didn't require stitches or anything. Lucky for me, I didn't. It was only a minor cut. Thank goodness. I'll have to look around and see if I can find the thing that hit me. Shouldn't be too hard to find. It should have a bit of blood on it. I would really like to know what it was. With all the previous events, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't an object from the tree.


	4. Entry 6

**Entry 6 – October 11, 2012**

After reading my previous entry tonight, I realized I totally forgot about searching for that sharp object. The day didn't go to waste though. I thought I would give my tree-house some much needed TLC. There were vines all over the place. I decided to cut them and get rid of them. I borrowed an old machete from my Dad's tool shed. I didn't really think he would mind if I used it anyway. Starting at the base of the two trees, I worked my way up, slashing at dark and faded vines. I had to climb on top of the tree-house to remove some of the vines. Now, the tree-house and the two trees holding it are (almost) vine free. There were some that I just couldn't get to. I didn't want to get out a giant ladder or anything. Tomorrow, I'm gonna make finding that fallen object a big priority. Maybe not the biggest one. I'm not sure yet. I'll wait until tomorrow comes, then I'll decide my priorities.


	5. Entry 7

**Entry 7 – October 12, 2012**

I guess I made finding that object a big enough priority today. Mainly because I found it. It is a strange looking thing. It sorta looks like a really thin, black rock. Of course, this couldn't have came from the tree. This had to be from the creature. But what is it? I don't know too much about animals, so I can't make a really good guess. I found the object on the ground, not far from the tree (pun unintended?). I borrowed one of my Dad's rakes to search through the leaves for anything with blood on it. About 20-30 minutes of searching later, I found the object. I'm looking at it right now as of writing. It's a shiny object. Not mirror reflective, but sorta glossy. The edges are, in fact, sharp, but I indirectly found that out before anything else. Things are starting to make the slightest bit of sense now, as far as why I was unable to see this creature. Even with the flashlight shown in the trees, I couldn't see it. I've only encountered this thing at night, so maybe it only comes out at that time. Next time I go out at night, I think I should be wearing a helmet and maybe some goggles. I don't want another cut. I had to "explain" my recent cut to my parents when I walked inside at night with a cut across my forehead. If I had told them everything about what had been happening, I don't know if they would believe me or not. I don't even know if it would be good if they did believe me. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for the creature. Now that I have a better idea of what I'm looking for.


	6. Entry 8

**Entry 8 – October 13, 2012**

Tonight, I had one of the scariest encounters with this creature. I felt like I had a near-death experience. It all started when I went up in my tree-house for an impromptu stakeout (of sorts). I brought less things with me than last time. I didn't think I would need all that stuff. Although, I did bring the helmet and goggles with me. Just in case. I never realized how bad the weather was looking. After about 10 minutes, rain started to pour down hard. Normally, I like the rain. I like the sound of a rainstorm, especially at night. This time was the exception. Why? Because I was trying to listen for the creature. I couldn't hear anything over the sound of falling rain. At that moment, I just knew something would go wrong because of this (and well, it did). I tried as hard as I could to distinguish the sound of leaves from heavy rain. They sound so similar that I couldn't tell a difference! 15 or so minutes later, I no longer had to listen for the creature. It was already on one of the tree-house trees. As before, things were shifting around, but this time it seemed worse. While I was trying to hold on to things as they are rocking around in the room, I saw my Dad's machete move around. I had forgotten to put it away from the time I cleaned up the tree-house. The machete shifted out onto the deck. I was trying to stand up, but couldn't keep a balance. On my hands and knees, I crawled out onto the deck to retrieve the machete. This was a mistake. I heard a loud growl close above me. The creature must have been only a branch or two up. I panicked and jumped back inside, anxiously hiding under my desk. Not a minute goes by before I hear a swoop with a familiar clank. I slowly inch around the corner to find that the machete was gone. I had no clue what was going to happen next. I had thought for sure that I was going to die very soon. This was a legitimate near-death experience (I'm very sure about it). I just waited a few minutes for the rain to die down, then ran for my life. I don't think I've ever had more incentive to run ever. Once I got back home, I felt like I just escaped the clutches of death. I'm glad none of my family were around when I came inside. Just my face alone could have told them the whole story. A mix of anxiety, fear, fatigue, and coldness. I now realize that this happened because I held onto the machete. It seems to know that a machete is a weapon. So that's why it growled at me. I don't know why it didn't just get me afterward, maybe it thought I was too easy or something. The important thing is that I'm safe. I need to remember that this thing is sensitive against weapons. This hasn't happened before. A growl from it is a new thing. If I remember not to bring the machete up in the tree-house, I think I should be okay. For now...


	7. Entry 9

**Entry 9 – October 15, 2012**

Yesterday, I decided to take a break from my observations of this creature. With all the intensity that happened the day before, I needed to cool my nerves. Even though I know why what happened happened, I still needed to clear my mind a bit. The break was worth it. I was able to build up more courage for today's event. Speaking of which, was another new encounter. I went up to my tree-house just to think and probably to see if the creature would come back. I didn't notice it was already in the tree until 15 minutes. I went out onto the deck and looked up. I didn't even bother with my flashlight this time. I just stared up into the moon-lit branches of the two trees. I thought I would try something just for the heck of it. I walked to the side rail of the deck, still looking up. "Hello?" I asked, out of curiosity. I then heard a noise from the trees. Was this some kind of reply? Maybe so. For some reason, I thought the noise sounded friendly. It was much more friendly sounding than a growl, but this just sounded friendlier than the other sounds I've heard from the creature. Maybe I'm on the right track with this creature. If only I knew what it was, that would make all this much easier. Nothing much more happened today. I'll have to see about figuring out what this creature is. I guess that's what I've been trying to do ever since I started this journal. All this creature does is hop around in the trees. So maybe I need to get it on the ground. That might be a tough feat. I'll have to figure out how to do that.


	8. Entry 10

**Entry 10 – October 16, 2012**

Today, I came to a discovery. In making this discovery, I made myself feel pretty stupid. It all started when my younger brother asked me for help with his homework. I usually help him because I have the time to. He needed help with some kind of matching in science. I think this was general science of some sort (e.g. energy, animals, etc.). My brother said he needed help in the animals section of his homework. He handed me a black and white printed homework sheet and pointed to an area on the worksheet. I had to admit, the way this homework was printed, it was hard to identify some things. The discovery came when we encountered one matching problem that said "Reptiles have _". I knew the answer was "scales", but it was hard to tell from the poorly printed paper. A random thought came in my head when I looked closer at the provided picture. The "scale" sorta looked like the object that hit me a few nights before. Being that it was in black and white, it really looked like the object. I was silent for a moment, just thinking about the possibility of the object being a scale. The matching section was called "Animal Exclusivity", so that probably meant that these are objects that only these animal groups have. After finishing assisting my brother, I went up to my tree-house and looked at the thin, black object that resided on the desk. I thought to myself that this must be a reptile scale. There were many questions that went through my head. "What kind of reptile am I dealing with? Some kind of black, tree hopping lizard?" With the fact that this creature shakes trees as it moves from tree to tree, it might be a larger reptile. It would help if I could see this thing during the day. Even if it came down to the ground at night, I would have a better chance of knowing what it was or at least what it looked like. I'll have to do some major research on reptiles now. At least I have a way to narrow down what this creature is.


	9. Entry 11

**Entry 11 – October 17, 2012**

I did some research on reptiles today. It was helpful to familiarize myself again with the species. There wasn't much that I didn't generally know. Although, it seems I can't have a day without something strange happening. I did an image search online for "black reptile", but only got pictures of snakes (and wallets). Either I'm not searching hard enough or there is the slight possibility that even the internet has no idea what creature I'm encountering. I don't want to jump to drastic conclusions, at least not yet. That doesn't mean I'm already imagining a scenario where no one knows what this reptile is and I'm the first one to discover it. I still have no idea what it is. I just have a better idea of what it could be. I felt a bit intimidated by all this research that I didn't go up into my tree-house today. When I went out to take the trash, the expected thing happened. The creature jumped to the closest tree and just watched me, I guess. I can't think of any reason why. Maybe I should ask it. That would definitely clear some things up. Joking aside, I need to think of a way to get a better look at this creature. I don't feel confident about climbing any trees. If only I knew where this thing was during the day. Maybe somewhere where there's plenty of sun. I might have to do some trekking around tomorrow. It is pretty convenient living in the last house on our side of the road. I can do some hiking through the woods without having to worry about neighbors' privacy. At least towards the left side of our backyard. I guess I better look for some boots and such for tomorrow.


	10. Entry 12

**Entry 12 – October 18, 2012**

I'm pretty happy with the way the day turned out. Nothing strange or intense happened. It was rather calm. I went walking through the woods today, trying to find a sunny spot that the creature might hang around during the day. The night before, I searched through my closet, looking for some hiking gear. I think I went a bit overboard though. I was wearing almost all woodland camouflage, except for my boots. This morning it rained, so I thought that would help me spot any irregular tracks. I tried to think of an area that I could go to begin my search. I decided to start at a power line clearing. It was only a five minute walk from my backyard. This clearing stretches out for miles, at least lengthwise. The width is about 50-60 yards, but I'm not sure if that's a good approximation. I walked down a trail to get to the clearing. I've been there many times before. It's been a place I would go to explore with my friends when we were younger. I wasn't sure how far I should search around this area. There are two "sides" of my part of the clearing. To the left is flat land and the right side has a giant hill. I searched the left side first. I went a bit slow, examining the ground as I went along. I tried to look out for any more scales or tracks from the creature. The tracks would be easy to distinguish from any other wildlife that resides around here. After 15-20 minutes of searching, I decided to check out the right side. It was a bit harder to perform this search while climbing the hill, especially while it was muddy. I went all along the hill, carefully watching my steps. I slipped a few times on the hill. Good thing I was wearing gloves. After finding nothing at the base or on the side of the hill, I went to the top of it. The view from the hill is pretty cool. You can see the clearing go out almost forever. At least, it seems like that. I proceeded to look around. Another 15-20 minutes of careful searching goes by, nothing is found. I almost called it a day, but then I went a bit farther to the other side of the hill and found a bunch of large boulders. For some reason, I thought I would find something here. It just looked like a place a reptile would want to rest. I searched around these boulders and sure enough, I found two more scales. I was really excited that my efforts hadn't gone unrewarded. The problem was, in all the excitement, I never checked for any footprints. I guess having an idea where this creature is during the day is a good enough reward for one day. This probably means I'll have to go back there soon. Maybe not tomorrow, but sometime soon. I'm sorta debating whether pursuing it during the day is a good idea. It should be no different in the day than in the night. Right? I guess I'll find that out eventually.


	11. Entry 13

**Entry 13 – October 19, 2012**

After my discovery yesterday, I decided to plan out a trip back to the location. I'm gonna go over there and try to spot the creature. The plan is still in the works. I need to work out how I'm going to approach the area and such. Tomorrow, I will be going over to the rest spot. If I can do this right, I might be able to finally see what this reptile looks like. Today, I did a web search for what the largest reptile was. It's the Komodo dragon. I'm pretty sure the creature I'm dealing with isn't a Komodo dragon. Komodos don't have black scales like I've found from the creature and they reside on the other side of the world. So, this brings up the thought of "Am I encountering something that even the internet has no information on?" Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions, but that is sounding correct. I guess for now I'll just say I'm not dealing with a Komodo. Before I started writing this entry, I was sitting up on the deck of the tree-house, just reading old entries. Seemingly right on queue, the creature hopped to a tree close to the tree-house. I looked up in the tree. Of course, I didn't see anything. I just looked up blindly. For some reason, I started to talk to the creature. I guess I remembered the time it responded to my hello. I told it that I didn't think anyone knew anything about it. I then heard a noise from the tree. I couldn't really tell what kind of response this was. It wasn't a growl, so I'm okay with it. The more I think about it, the more I want to get to know this creature. It's just very intriguing. I guess I should get back to planning mode if I want to learn more about the creature.


	12. Entry 14

**Entry 14 – October 20, 2012**

Today, I carried out my plan of revisiting that spot that the creature goes to during the day. I have to say, things didn't really go as I wanted to. Maybe my plan wasn't very thought out well. When I went out to the spot, I was in my camo hiking gear. I thought that would help in the situation. I went up the hill through the woods. That's how I approached the creature's resting area. I only brought some binoculars with me. They weren't anything special, just an old pair. I tried to step carefully and quietly. This was kinda hard with all the leaves on the ground. When I was on top of the hill, I started to move closer to the edge of the treeline. I was almost to the place. I could see the tips of the boulders. All of a sudden, I hear a swoop and then some running. The creature knew I was coming! I don't know if I was too loud or if it just could smell me. I knew it was taking off. This is when I ran as fast as I could to see if I could get a glimpse of what I was pursuing. Happily though, I did. I think I saw the middle of its tail. I guess it had its tail curled for some reason. Maybe to stay out of sight as much as it could? I was able to see it through the binoculars. I pulled them out as I was running. The boulders that it was laying on were closer to the treeline I was in. The creature really had to run to get into the treeline on the other side. It is a good distance. I'm happy that I got to see something of this mysterious creature. Although, I'm worried that the creature might not want to be around me now that I just found its lounge spot. I hope that it didn't think I was trying to get it or anything. If only I could just tell it that I want to know what it looks like. That would make things a lot simpler. I didn't go out to my tree-house tonight. I sorta feel bad about chasing it away from its resting area. Weirdly enough, I feel like I need to apologize to it about that. I mean, it did respond to everything else I said to it. It won't realize the context of what I say to it (I guess), but maybe the apologetic tone will say it all. That will have to be done tomorrow. As soon as I can.


	13. Entry 15

**Entry 15, October 21, 2012**

I felt a bit hesitant to go up in my tree-house tonight. After what happened yesterday, I just didn't think it would be right. I was feeling bad about the whole thing pretty much all day. I just couldn't get my mind off of the subject. Last night, I wished that I never went to that daytime spot. Some people probably wouldn't think anything about scaring an animal away from where it was resting, but I just felt like I was being aggressive (in a slightly alternate form than what I would think of as being aggressive). When sunset came, I questioned myself if there were any reasons why I would go back up to the tree-house. It didn't take long to think of one big one. I wanted to apologize to the creature about yesterday. I knew this was a good enough reason to justify my original thoughts today. I went out to my backyard. It had been starting to get chilly recently. It wasn't anything severe. Maybe 45-50 degrees. I'm not one for cold weather. I like the cool weather in the fall, just to get away from those few 100+ degree days. I climbed up in my tree-house and just waited. I waited to see if the creature would even come back to my backyard. It wasn't even 10 minutes before I heard trees shaking. I was already feeling glad for deciding to go up there. The creature stopped on a nearby tree. I'm glad it stopped jumping on the trees holding up my tree-house. It was kinda hard to stand and keep things in one place. I walked out onto the deck slowly. Because the creature came back, I felt like I was already forgiven. I looked up into the tree and tried to find a tail. It was too dark tonight and I didn't bring my flashlight. I hesitated to say anything immediately, but then started to slowly apologize. I said something along the lines of this: "Hey...uh...I...I wanted to apologize about yesterday. I didn't mean to scare you away from your resting spot or anything. I just wanted to get a better look at you, that's all. I didn't think you would come back after that. I'm glad you proved me wrong. I don't know if you understand anything I'm saying, but I just want you to know I'm sorry..." After that, I sat down, leaning up against the side railing. I heard a noise from the creature. This noise sounded like some kind of low, purring type sound. I didn't know if this was a positive response or not. I guess it coming back is something of a positive response, even before I said anything. I just sat where I was for a while, with a grin. Tonight was a success. I'm happy I reasoned with myself. If I didn't, I probably would have thought the creature would never come back. That would have really depressed me. I think I might have some kind of attachment to this creature. At first, all I wanted to know was what the creature looked like. Now, it seems like a little bit more. I just hope I'll be able to see more of it in the future.


	14. Entry 16

**Entry 16 – October 21, 2012**

Today was pretty surprising. At least the events were. Not much happened tonight though. I went up to my tree-house today to grab some stuff that I left there (a backpack and some boots). When I got to the base of one of the trees, I noticed some divots in the grass. These were pretty large marks. I took a closer look and found that these marks weren't random divots, they were animal tracks. I immediately wondered if these were from the creature. There aren't many other animals that come around here. Mostly deer, I guess. I searched around for more of these tracks and soon found more of them. It looked like they were headed towards my house. I started to become a bit concerned about that possibility. I followed the tracks, closer and closer to my house. They stopped at the fence that separates the forest from the open area of my backyard. The fence isn't very high. At least, the section where the tracks stopped. I wondered why the creature just stopped at this location. I looked around to see if there were any obvious reasons for this. I was just about stumped until I looked a bit higher. I saw my bedroom window. The creature must have been spying on me sometime last night, probably before I went to bed. I wasn't sure what to think about this. I'm still not sure what to think about it. It seems kinda creepy that I was being watched by something. I guess this also could mean that the creature is getting curious of me (or something). Like I mentioned before, nothing really happened tonight. I was up in the ol' tree-house. I didn't say anything to the creature about the tracks I found. I don't know if I should. I closed my curtains before I started writing this entry because my desk is right in front of the window. I'm still sorta deciding what I think about this whole "spying" thing. I guess I did try doing something similar to the creature. So, maybe we're even or something. Although, I don't think getting even was something it was really trying to do. Maybe I'll find out here soon.


	15. Entry 17

**Entry 17 – October 22, 2012**

When I woke up today, I was just about to open up my curtains when I remembered the discoveries of yesterday. I slowly pinched a bit of the curtain and moved it to where I could see outside with only one eye. I didn't see anything. I then went ahead to open up the curtains all the way, as I usually do. It didn't feel right being so suspicious like that, but I knew it was possible that I was being watched. I decided that I was "okay" with the fact that I was watched by the creature. It has probably seen me plenty of times, so being seen in my house shouldn't be too much different. Also, I did try to spy on the creature in its daytime spot, so I guess that's payback or whatever. I did go out to my tree-house later today. Just to see if there was any other evidence from the creature. I didn't find anything new. There were more tracks, but they seemed to only go around my tree-house. I did find that kinda strange though. Tonight, I went up to the tree-house and brought some apple cider (due to the crisp temperature outside). I drank all of it by the time the creature came to the nearby tree. I walked out to the deck to greet it. The creature greeted me back with that friendly noise I've heard before. I pulled my desk chair out on the deck to sit on. I mentioned to the creature about the tracks around my tree-house (not the ones near my house, those I probably won't mention). It made some kind of medium pitched sound in response. This was a new sound, so I didn't really know what kind of response this was. I wonder how I will get into contact with the creature during the day. I don't really want to show up in its chilling spot uninvited again. Maybe someday I could just mention seeing it during the day. I wonder how it would respond to that. It didn't seem like it was so sensitive to me seeing its prints all over the place. That was suspicious enough. I guess I just need to keep at all of this. I've gotten so far in this study already. Why stop now?


	16. Entry 18

**Entry 18 – October 23, 2012**

Today was kinda crazy. I had some appointments and other things that I had to do today. I guess my mom wanted to get them all out of the way before the weekend. With that said, I was away from my house for most of the day. Because I was gone for so long, I decided I definitely had to go up to the tree-house tonight. I went to my backyard when it was about to get dark. I walked up to the tree with the ladder on it and was shocked for a moment. There were scratch marks on the tree. My jaw was on the ground. These marks had to be from the creature. They were huge! I started to investigate a bit more. The marks didn't go up the whole tree, they stopped right under the door of my tree-house. I climbed up the ladder and noticed that the door was opened (I say door, but it's more of a hatch). Although, everything in the room was as it was when I left it. I was relived at this sight. This I was gonna have to mention to the creature. I think this was another "spying" attempt or something. Why would it look in my tree-house? Was it looking for something in particular? I guess since everything was still in order that it wasn't looking for an object. When it got dark, the creature came back to greet me. I went out on the deck and greeted it as well. I didn't mention the marks immediately, but when I did, I could tell it wasn't happy about it. It gave a low pitched, sad sound. I then told it I wasn't mad about it and that it just scared me. It sounded happy that I wasn't upset about the scratches. I asked it to not scare me like that again. It sounded like it was in agreement. I kept thinking to myself reasons why the creature would look in my tree-house in the first place. I guess it's not a big deal. None of my stuff was broken or even moved for that fact. Maybe it was just curious of what my tree-house looked like from the inside. It has seen me walk out of there lots of times, so maybe it just wanted a look at the interior. If that was the case, I would just let it inside (that's if it could fit inside of course). I still feel like I'm talking to a ghost voice sometimes. I have a better idea of what the creature looks like than when I started out. I just want the full idea, the knowledge of what it really looks like. I still need to talk to the creature about seeing it during the day. I just need to plan out how I would say it.


	17. Entry 19

**Entry 19 – October 24, 2012**

I had a good day today. Nothing much out of the ordinary happened. I didn't see anything that really shocked me like the previous day. When I went to my tree-house today, I saw the scratch marks again. I stared at marks for a little bit, just thinking. Am I overlooking some things because of my attachment with this creature? The question stayed in my mind for about the whole day. Now that I think about it, I might be. With the fact that I talk to the creature and it seemingly responds to me. That should be confusing to me, but I'm okay with it. I don't know...I can get a bit lonely at times. Tonight when I was up in the tree-house, I heard leaves crunching. Now, this wasn't the familiar sound of trees shaking, this was different. I listened some more to try to identify what this sound was. I then figured it out. It was the sound of leaves crunching on the ground. The sound was coming from behind my tree-house (the opposite side of where the deck faces). I was wondering if it was the creature and if it was, if I could get a look at it. There was a full moon out tonight. I didn't have to bring my flashlight to find my way to the two trees holding up the house. Once the noise was really close sounding, I slowly opened the hatch and looked around. I was hoping I would catch the creature passing by at the right angle. I then could hear it right below me. I stuck my head out of the opening and looked around frantically. I looked to the left of me and saw a bit of the creature. I saw all of its tail. It was longer than I had imagined. Also, it had two strange bits at the end of the tail. They were some kind of flaps or something. I don't know what they could be for. I think some smaller reptiles have flaps on their bodies that look like that, but those are used to gather heat (or something along those lines). Maybe its tail gets cold during the day and it uses that to keep it warm. I have no clue really. The night went without any trouble. I wasn't able to mention anything about seeing the creature during the day. I'm not even sure this thing knows anything I'm saying. It could just be listening to tone this whole time. I guess there are ways I could test this out, but I'm not sure if that's my main priority at the moment. At least I got to see more of this creature, even if it was more of its tail.


	18. Entry 20

**Entry 20 – October 25, 2012**

I wanted to start this journal entry out with a dream I had last night. It was strange, mainly because of how clear it was. The dream felt extremely real. In this dream, I was in a forest. Not like the one in my backyard, this was different. It had different trees. I guess I was in another state or something. I was walking around, pretty aimlessly. I just looked around without a care in the world. Suddenly, I hear something. These were familiar sounds, but in the dream I was scared of them. I now know that these were sounds from the creature. In the dream however, I wanted to get away from these noises. I changed direction from where I was wondering originally. I start to think that I've escaped the noises, but then they come back. Slowly, I heard them get louder behind me. I didn't move. I couldn't move. I was really getting scared now. When the noises sounded like they were right behind me, they stopped. I then was able to look behind me and see that there was nothing back there. I continued to stroll along the woodland path that was before me. Later on, I start to hear noises again. These were leaves crunching on the ground. I looked around frantically, trying to find where the noise was coming from. I then saw something off the path, it was the creature's tail. I went off the trail and followed the tail. It started to slither between trees to where I could only see the half end of it. I still pursued it until the scenery changed. I was in the forest, but now I was on a mountain. I was pretty high up. I looked up the mountain and could hear myself saying "Almost there..." At that moment, the dream ended. I woke up breathless. I felt like I had actually climbed a mountain. Other than this, there wasn't much that happened during the day. Tonight, I went up the tree-house, which I've noticed is becoming second nature for me. It used to be second nature when I was like 7. Now, it's almost like that nature has come back. The creature approached the scene rather roughly. I told it to be careful on the branch it always goes to, it has used it so much that it could break soon. That would not be good. I've been starting to think about my parents in all this discovery. I guess more secrecy, less discovery. I don't feel like it's something I need to tell them about. They will ask me sometimes why I go outside so much and stay up late so much. I guess I am going to have to tell them someday, but I don't think now is the right time.


	19. Entry 21

**Entry 21 – October 26, 2012**

I had a bit of an issue tonight. The rest of the day was almost perfect. It was just tonight that where I had a problem. I went up to the tree-house and waited for the creature. It didn't take too long. I think it's starting to arrive faster than it previously did before. When it arrived, it jumped on the branch of the nearby tree (the one it seems to always go to) roughly again. I said to it: "Be careful! You're going to break that branch if you aren't". I heard a snort from the tree. I guess the creature didn't like me mentioning that again. Suddenly, the tree (that the creature was in) started to shake. I saw it was bending to the side the creature's branch was on. It was bouncing on the branch! I didn't say anything. I was just thinking "What is it doing?!". The creature just kept jumping on the branch. I was just about to say something until I heard a large snap. The branch had broke. Right after it snapped, I heard the creature scream. That was a sound I never heard before and one I never want to hear again. It scared me enough to where I fell out of my desk chair and onto the deck. I expected to hear a loud thud, but no, I heard something else. I don't even know how to explain the sound. I jumped up and heard another nearby tree shake. I quickly looked over at it and saw the creature's tail. I then noticed something new. The moonlight revealed a large wing, protruding out of the leaves of the tree. Wings?! What is this thing?! I've been wondering this ever since I started this journal, but seriously, What am I dealing with? The sight of a single wing disappearing into the dark cover was shocking. If anything, it is a good thing this creature has wings. It would have been pretty hurt if it fell from the tree. That would be something I would not want to attend. Even if it meant I could see all of what the creature looked like, I wouldn't want to see it in pain. After all this, I sat back down in my chair, breathing heavily. I asked the creature if it was alright. It sounded like it was. I was then pretty much speechless. After I bade the creature a good night and went back to my house, I just felt confused. I still feel confused. This wasn't something I was expecting at all. I guess maybe the idea came across my mind once or twice, but I thought it was a crazy idea. So, a winged reptile? Am I on earth or is this some other planet? I really need to rest my mind. I've been thinking way too much recently. I just need to let this day expire. Tomorrow might bring some serenity.


	20. Entry 22

**Entry 22 – October 27, 2012**

I woke up this morning with my journal on my chest. I must have read all the previous entries. There weren't very many clues that I could have overlooked about the creature. Maybe I could have been more thorough in my writing. I went out to my backyard and investigated around the tree-house. I saw the branch that had snapped and fallen from the trunk. There were scratch marks on it, the ones I've seen before. I just stood, looking place where the tree had snapped. I still felt confused about everything, not just about last night. When I went up into my tree-house, I noticed something. That branch that snapped was pretty close to the balcony of the tree-house. I never really realized that. I guess it was a fact I knew, that the creature had been reducing its distance from me over time. I do remember a few days ago when I discovered the tracks that led to a spot where my bedroom window could be seen. I did think that was "payback" for my intrusion, but maybe it was more than that. I don't know, it just seems like that. With the fact that this is definitely something that not too many (if any other) people know about. I could be the only one to gain contact with the creature. When night came, I was actually debating whether I should go to the tree-house or not. I now wonder why I would even have second thoughts. The creature arrived and landed on a branch. Of course, a different branch. The first thing I mentioned to the creature was last night. I said the night was crazy. It sounded like it was in concordance. I told it I was glad it was okay. The creature liked that comment apparently. I mentioned something along the lines of: "I thought you were going to hit the ground. I didn't know you had wings." I then heard the creature make a new sound. It must have been surprised or something, because it sounded like that. The rest of the night went about normal. Before I left, I said: "Good night" and went back home. I remember a couple of entries ago when I said I wanted to mention to the creature about being able to see it during the day. I need to do that soon. I don't know if it'll be tomorrow or even the next day. I gotta say something. I know I'm getting close to seeing what the creature looks like. I just don't feel like I have the courage to say anything. For all I know, the creature might just be waiting for me to mention something about seeing it on the ground. That would be cool if it were like that. I guess all I need to do is say something soon.


	21. Entry 23

**Entry 23 – October 28, 2012**

I was disappointed today. The weather kind of ruined the day. I woke up this morning and looked out my window. There was a very dense fog out. I almost thought it was smoke (due to some neighbors who have already started burning leaves this fall). I wasn't able to go out as early as I wanted. I was kinda busy with random chores and such. When I finally went out, the fog didn't seem to dissolve much. It's usually not hard for me to find my tree-house, but today it was difficult. After what seemed like half a day, I found the tree-house. I climbed up and went to the deck. I could not see much from there, either. Before the sun set, I wondered if it was a good idea to just stay home. Although, I imagined the scenario where I stay inside and leave the creature to wonder where I am. I just felt like I couldn't let some fog ruin our nightly visit. So I decided to go out into the fog. I brought some things with me, such as a compass (if things were to get really bad). I slowly walked through my backyard as if it were a place I had never been before. It was a strange feeling to be somewhere familiar, but it not being familiar. That kinda sounds like a paradox to me. After an even longer time than earlier, I found the tree-house. I went up and waited for the creature to arrive. We usually meet around 8:30pm, give or take ten minutes. I checked my watch (having to press the "night mode" button) and was shocked to see that it was already 8:50pm. I never really watched the time in the early "stakeouts", so I'm not sure how fast the creature would arrive. After more waiting, I decided that the creature was still coming and was only slow because of the fog. I wish this were the case. I waited until about 9:25pm (which was about the time I said "Good night" on regular nights) and decided to go back home. This was exactly was I was expecting when I had been discovered by the creature during the day. I thought it would never come back, but it did. I guess the fog was too much for it to fly in. I could barely walk in my own backyard, so I guess that's understandable. Oh well, maybe tomorrow night I will be able to ask it that question I mentioned in yesterday's entry. I just hope everything will go better than it did today.


	22. Entry 24

**Entry 24 – October 29, 2012**

I think today was a success. Today made up for yesterday's (slight) disappointment. That fog must have been too much for the creature, but that's okay. I really shouldn't have gone out there either. It rained a lot today. The weather has just been horrendous this week. In fact, it is still raining at time of writing. During the day, it was pouring. I decided I didn't really need to go out if it was raining that hard. Luckily, the rain calmed before sunset. When I finally went outside, it was only lightly raining. I put on the hood of my jacket (feeling pretty cool in the process) and plopped through the mud to get to my tree-house. I climbed up and waited. I sat down on the floor, leaned up against the side of the doorway to the balcony. In about ten minutes, I started to hear the trees shake. The creature came back. I was so happy that it was there. I greeted it and told it that I was glad it was back. It greeted me back, sounding happy to see me as well. I mentioned how foggy it was yesterday and how it was almost too much for me to handle. I heard the creature sound sad. Did it know I waited for it last night just by saying the fog was too much for me? That's what it sounded like to me. A bit of a pause went by. I decided I would just go ahead and ask the creature about day visits. I was nervous asking. I started to ask if it remembered the time I went over to its daytime spot. I heard a medium pitched sound. I guessed that it remembered. This is what I said to the creature (or something along the lines of): "The only reason I went over there to where you were is because I wanted to see what you looked like. I just recently found out you had wings because the tree limb accident. I wanted to ask you if we could meet like this during the day. I've been meaning to ask this for a while, but never really had the courage to. So, what do you think?" There was a long silence. I was really getting worried now. I couldn't even imagine what it could be thinking at this moment. Was it shocked to hear this? Did it not like this idea? Is it going to avoid me now? The questions were endless. After the brutal pause, I heard a noise that stopped the questions in my head. The creature sounded glad at this suggestion. I felt like I was weightless at this moment. So much pressure was now gone. I then said: "We don't have to meet immediately, maybe sometime in the next few days." I thought it would be a good idea to give me and the creature some time to prepare for a daytime visit. I'm really excited now. All this pursuing is now going to pay off here soon. Even if we only meet for a few minutes, that would be more than fine with me. I just hope seeing the creature doesn't change my mind about learning more about it. As said before, today was a success. I'm just so happy how well things turned out. I will now go to bed a champion once again.


	23. Entry 25

**Entry 25 – October 30, 2012**

I woke up this morning with a smile on my face. There were a few reasons for this. The first reason was that the sun was shining through the openings of my curtain. In the last several days, I woke up to a dark room. This was a much appreciated change. The other reason I woke up cheerful was because of my "victory" last night. I finally had the courage to ask the creature about meeting during the day. Both of these reasons translated into a good mood throughout the entire day, even my Mom wondered why I was so happy. Of course, I told her it was because of the sunny day and that was a true statement. I took advantage of the clear day and went up to the tree-house. I tried to think of things I could add to improve it. One idea that came to mind was an awning for the balcony. Last night, I had to sit in the doorway because of the rain. I think I'll have to figure out how I'm going to get an awning set up soon. When sunset came, I was still up in my tree-house. I had made future plans of improvement to it. The creature arrived promptly. We greeted each other. I mentioned how clear the day was. The creature seemed to enjoy the day as I did. I went on to talk about how good it was for the sun to finally be out and how the rain was getting to me. It sounded to me like the creature agreed with me. After my talk of weather, I mentioned about our planned day visit. I said that it could still be in a couple of days. I didn't know where we would meet though. That will be something I should think of soon. I should have an idea where to visit at tomorrow. I told the creature all this. It sounded okay with me picking the place. I think it should know where to go once I tell it the location. I didn't really mention anything else after this. I was and still am excited about seeing the creature. I don't know if I should had said something about that or not. I guess it's fine for now. Tomorrow is Halloween. It's not really an event I get super excited about, but I still like to dress up. This year, I'm going as a stereotypical gentleman, monocle and all. I think it's my best costume yet. I haven't really mentioned it in this journal, mainly because it's specifically about my encounters with the creature. I might have to go out early for candy, which is something I would never think to do until recently. I don't really mind. Besides, I would have someone waiting on me if I didn't.


	24. Entry 26

**Entry 26 – October 31, 2012**

There was a lot that happened today. With the all the busyness with getting candy and costumes ready for Halloween, I felt like I was just running around all day. I remembered that I was gonna go out early for candy so I could meet the creature tonight. My parents wondered why I changed my mind from wanting to go out late. I said all the good candy would be taken later. They told me I would be home alone while they took my brother out for trick or treat. I didn't mind that, we had a self serve candy bowl anyway. So I didn't have to wait at the door for anyone. My candy pursuit came with some good loot. Maybe not as good as previous years, but I'm not disappointed either. When I got back home, it was about time to go up to the tree-house. I got out of my costume (which was widely well received) and walked to my backyard. I made sure to bring my cell phone, just in case my parents needed to get in touch with me. I climbed the ladder up and waited for the creature. As soon as it arrived, we went through our regular greetings and such. Everything seemed to be going just as normal, until I mentioned the day visit. I guess at first it wasn't out of the ordinary. I said that maybe we could meet in two days. I also said that we should meet somewhere away from my house. Meeting at the tree-house is fine at night, but I'm not sure about day just yet. This I mentioned as well. After I said this, our meet became a bit different from the norm. I heard a sound from the creature. Again, one I have never heard before. It was like a small, sudden roar. I didn't know what this meant. I just hoped the creature wasn't having second thoughts or anything. I heard a tree shake. It was the one the creature was in. I just stood up and went to the railing of the deck, puzzled. I then heard a thump somewhere behind the tree-house. I had no idea what was going on. I was a bit scared. I then went back to sitting on my desk chair. Five minutes went by. I didn't know where the creature went. I almost thought it needed to go somewhere. I was starting to think if I should leave. Before I was even able to get off my chair, I heard a noise close by. It was the hatch door of my tree-house. It was shaking a bit as if it were being hit. I pushed myself back against the wall in my chair, watching the door in shock. Who was this? I was wondering if it were some random kids playing a prank or something. It was Halloween, people do all sorts of jokes on this date. I thought I would play along and be a good sport about it. I said "Alright, alright." to where 'they' could hear me. I went ahead and climbed down the ladder. I heard some kind of a swoop when my feet touched the ground, but I thought it was a gust of wind (or part of the prank I was responding to). I said "Hellooooo...?" kind of in a joking tone. Maybe the kids ran off I thought. I then heard another noise. It was from the creature. I was thinking that it was back from where ever it went. Although, the sound was close to where I was. "Where'd you go?" I asked the creature. I walked towards the tree it usually sits in. The creature sounded again, but it was in a tree behind me. I asked why it switched trees on me. Without any response, I heard a large plop behind me. I was still facing towards the preferred tree. I just stood where I was a bit startled. I didn't know what that sound was. I then heard the creature again. It sounded so close. It was right behind me. Half of me was kinda scared and intimidated. The other half was excited and ready to turn around. I asked the creature if it wanted me to see it yet. It responded happily. I then said nervously "Okay..." I slowly turned around with my eyes closed. I only kept my eyes closed until the creature started to get impatient (I guess). When I finally opened my eyes, I jumped back a bit. Now, I didn't really remember what I was expecting this creature to look like. All I knew was that it had wings and a tail. For one thing, it was much larger than I expected. I can't really compare scale yet. One of the first things I noticed were its eyes, mainly because they were glowing in the dark. I had no idea how the creature hid itself as well as it did. The creature had big, green eyes. They just kept looking at me. I was still a bit shocked at this moment. Although, that didn't mean I was still happy to see it. I saw the creature's wings and tail like I did before, but I noticed how the wings were folded on its body. The creature itself looked excited to be this close to me. It seemed to be examining my features. I was speechless for the entire time. The creature started to walk closer to me. I stepped back. It then stopped and tilted its head. I wasn't ready to be that close. I saw the creature move its "ears" back (I think that's what they were). It sounded sad. I said to it that I was just a bit scared to be this close to it. The creature raised its head and just looked at me again. An idea popped into my mind. What would it be like if I pet it? The idea seemed to come out of nowhere. I thought about it. I wasn't really sure about it. I zoned out a bit staring at my hands. The creature broke me from the zone with a confused roar. I looked up at the creature a bit embarrassed. I then chuckled out of embarrassment. I checked my watch in the meantime. I noticed that my parents would be back home in five minutes. I jumped a bit when I found this out. The creature jumped as well. I said to it: "Sorry 'bout that." I saw the creature nod. I told it I had to go. Of course, it was disappointed to hear this. Before I left, I asked it something: "Would you be okay with having our day visit tomorrow? We could meet here first and then go off somewhere else." The creature tilted its head a bit. I guess it was thinking if it was okay with this suggestion. It then nodded at me. "Great! I'll see you tomorrow!" I said to the creature. It then purred at me and jumped into a tree. The creature flew off. I just watched as it disappeared into the black trees. I then set off back to my house. That experience was... I can't even describe it. I'm just so blown away by the fact that the creature started this. I would have never expected that. I guess I've finally gotten to where I want to be...or have I? Today was great. Tomorrow will probably be about the same as today. I can't say anything more. I'm just in shock and awe right now.

**To Be Continued...**

Author's Notes:

I hope all of you who read this first journal had as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Journal 2 is coming real soon, so don't worry.

Thank you all for reading this and have a good day/night!


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